A few weeks ago we took the girls snow skiing with us in Big Sky, Montana. It was such a memorable trip! Leighton has been skiing with us before, but this was Amelia’s first time. We had 3 full days there and knew it would fly by quickly, so we made sure we prepared in advance to have everything ready! If you’re planning on taking your kids on their first snow skiing trip soon, make sure you check out my tips below!
1.) Sign them up for ski school at a kid/family friendly resort. I also recommend adding lessons for more than 1 day. 1 day is better than nothing, but you will see much more of a difference by letting them learn for multiple days. The longer they have to build on top of their skills, the better. And a resort that is family and kid friendly will be the most trained as far as teaching children to ski. The girls went to ski school for 2 full days, and Leighton moved up to the next level after day 1. Amelia would have moved up to the next level after day 2 if we had time for 1 more day of lessons.
2.) Rent ski gear in advance. We rented ski gear when we booked ski school. This just makes it easier and more convenient. Sometimes places will sell out and won’t have any more rentals available, so I recommend reserving in advance. You will have to provide their measurements when you reserve the eqiupent. Make sure it fits correctly. They will check everything and ask the kids how they fit, but make sure you are checking and asking too. They might be too embarrassed to say something to the employees.
3.) Buy the other clothing and accessories in advance and make sure they are waterproof and fit. I’m not saying you have to spend a ton of money getting the best gear, but make sure it is waterproof and is well made. A warm beanie or earmuffs, waterproof gloves, wool socks, waterproof pants or bibs and a jacket. You can check Land’s End, LL Bean and even Facebook Marketplace or eBay for some great used items.
4.) Layer your clothing. Depending on how cold it is, you might want a base layer and a mid-layer shirt on and a base layer under your pants like fleece lined leggings. My girls got hot and preferred to wear just one shirt underneath their jackets. It’s better to take too much than not enough and be cold. They can easily remove layers as the day goes on and they warm up. For base layers, I just ordered some ribbed tops and fleece lined leggings from Old Navy, and they were perfect.
5.) Don’t forget protection like sunscreen, chapstick, goggles and helmets! You should be able to rent the helmet along with your gear.
6.) Start on the easy slopes first. After ski school, start on the easiest greens you can find. Catwalks that weren’t steep and wide trails were my girls’ favorites.
7.) Let them take breaks often. They’re going to get tired. Their bodies are probably exhausted, but they probably feel cold and may not even feel like they’re sweating. They may not even notice how tired they get either. Make sure they stay hydrated and eat enough food also. Breaks are a good time to talk about how well they’re doing and to ask them how they’re feeling about skiing so far. What do they like about it? Which trails are their favorite? How long do they want to ski today? What do they think they want to work on next?
8.) Give them positive reinforcement and compliment them. Especially if you have girls like we do. = ) It is so good for their confidence and gives them the courage to try some tougher trails too.
9.) Let them watch other skiers. It’s a good way for them to see what others look like when skiing and what they can work on or what they might want to do. You could even record them so they can see how they look skiing too.
10.) Ski with them (and bring your patience). Our favorite day was the last day we skied with the girls for about 4 hours. It was such a blast! I had fun teaching them how to turn, and I honestly would have loved doing it every single day! It was so special, and we had so much fun together!
And don’t forget, HAVE FUN! Have you been skiing with your kids before? What are your best tips?
